Edward fobbes o neill



(No Model.)

. E. P. ONEILL.

KEY BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented May 27, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

EDTVARD FORBES ONEILL, OF STORM LAKE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF -AND IRA D. OADY, OF SAME PLACE.

KEY-BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,492, dated May 27, 1884.

Application filed October 2, 1883. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may cmwcrn: be so adjusted that their upper surfaces will Be it known that I, EDWARD FORBES be flush with the upper surfaces of the black ONEILL, of Storm Lake, in the county of keys. A strip, E, having a longitudinal Buena Vista and State of Iowa, have invented groove, E, in its top, is secured on the strip a new and Improved Self-Playing Attachment 0, but does not extend to the ends of the same.

for Key-Board Instruments, of which the fol- A strip, F, of leather, secured to the rear edge lowing is a full, clear, and exact description. of the strip 0, projects below the bottom sur- The object of my invention is to provide a face of the same and passes in between the rear new and improved attachment for pianos, orends of the black keys D and the nameboard r0 gans, and other key-board instruments, by F. Two standards, G, are united at the top means of which attachment persons not acby a longitudinal rod, H, and at thebottomof qnainted with music can play dances or any the standards there is a roller, J, one end of other kind of music on the instrument. which revolves in an eye or an aperture in one The invention, which is an improvement on standard and its other end in a slot extending I 5 the self-playing attachment for key-board into the bottom of the other standard, so that struments for which United States Letters Patthe roller can be easily put in place and inside ent No. 215,155 were issued to me on the 6th of the music-chart. The standards are also day of May, 1879, consists in the combination, united at the rear ends of the bases by a rod, I, with a series of false keys hinged to a strip, of adapted to pass into and slide in the groove 20 a frame adapted to rest on the said strip and E of the strip E. The standards G are pro the front of the instrument, which frame carvided in the front edges with a series of ries adjustable rollers and non-adjustable rollnotches, a, placed. close together, and in the ers over which an endless music band or belt rear edges with three notches, I), spaced farpasses, which is provided with projections. ther apart. A roller, K, rests loosely in 2 5 One of the rollers is provided with frictionnotches a, and a roller, L, rests loosely in rings, whereby if the said roller is turned the notches b. A roller, M, has its ends passed sheet will be moved over the keys and the prothrough journal boxes or slides N, held to slide jections will depress the keys and false keys in vertical slots Oin the standards G. At one and produce the desired melody. end the roller M is provided with a crank- 30 Reference is to be had to the accompanying handle, P. Springs Qdraw the slides N down- So drawings, forming part of this specification, in ward. The roller M is surrounded bya series which similar letters of reference indicate corof projecting rubber rings, B. At the front a responding parts in all the figures. longitudinally-slotted leg, S, is held on the Figure 1 is a front view of a piano provided base of each standard by screws S on the ends 35 with my improved attachment, parts of the of a rod, 8, passing across the front, which same being broken out. Fig. 2 is a cross-secrod serves to connect and help hold in place tional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a secthese legs and the standards, and which rod tional plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan also serves as a hold for the left hand to keep view of some of the false keys. Fig. 5 is an the driver steady upon the instrument while 40 edge view of part of the chart, and Fig. 6 is a turning the crank with the right hand. These 0 detail view. legs are provided with cushions 0 on the lower A series of false keys, A, each provided at ends. An endless band or belt, T, is provided the front or outer end with a projection, A, with a series of leather blocks, W, which are on the bottom, are secured, by a piece, B, of secured thereon parallel with each other and 5 leather, cloth, or other flexible material, to a in such a manner as to depress the keys to 5 strip of wood, 0, adapted to rest on the black produce the desired melody. The ends of the keys D. The false keys A are so arranged blocks are beveled, and the blocks are made -that they can pass between the black keys D longer or shorter, as may be necessary. The of the key-board, and by removing more or rubber rings Rare so arranged that they come 50 less of the projections A the false keys A can in contact with the endless band T between the blocks W, and the said blocks are so arranged that they will strike the black keys D or the false keys A. The name of the piece of music and the words are printed on ablank space, Y, on the band or belt T.

The operation is as follows: The endless belt or band T is passed over the rollers K L and under the rollers J M in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the rollers K and L are so adjusted in the notches a and b according to the greateror less length of the belt or band. The roller M is drawn downward by the springs Q and holds the belt or band T taut. The strip C is placed 011 the rear or inner ends of the black keys D, and the wire I is placed in the groove E. The legs S are then adjusted to rest on the front rail of the casing and to hold the standards vertically. By turning the crankhandle P the endless band will be moved over the keys by the rubber rings R,which produce sufficient friction to move the belt or band. The projections \V depress thekeys,and thereby the desired melody will beproduced. The attachment can be placed on a piano very easily or removed from the same. If the false keys are depressed, they depress the white keys.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a series of false keys hinged to a strip and adapted to pass be tween the black keys of a key-board, of aframe resting partly on the strip to which the false keys are hinged, and of an endless music belt or band held on the frame which is provided with means for moving the belt or band, sub stantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the strip 0, the false keys A, the grooved strip E, the standards G, and the rod I, fitting in the grooved strip E, of means for passing an endless music belt or band provided with projections over the keys, substantially as herein shown and described.

- 3. The combination, with the strip G, the false keys A, the grooved strip E, the standards G, the rod I, fitting in the groove in the strip E, and the adjustable front legs, S, of means for passing an endless music belt or band provided with projections over the keys, substantially as herein shown and described.

l. The combination, with the standards G, of the adjustable rollers K and L, the roller J, the roller M, provided with friction-rings It, the slides N, the springs Q, and an endless band or belt provided with projections W, substantially as herein shown and described.

EDXVARD FORBES ONEILL.

\Vitncsses:

J. V. YVAnRnN, I. I). OADY. 

